Methods and systems for treatment of occipital neuralgia

Abstract

A system for alleviating occipital neuralgia. The system has a needle probe having at least one needle. The at least one needle has a proximal end, a distal end, and a needle lumen therebetween, the needle configured for insertion proximate to a location of the occipital nerve. A cooling fluid supply lumen extends distally within the needle lumen to a distal portion of the needle lumen. A cooling fluid source is coupled to the cooling fluid supply lumen to direct cooling fluid flow into the needle lumen. A controller that has at least one processor configured implements an occipital neuralgia treatment algorithm for controlling the cooling fluid source so that liquid from the cooling flow vaporizes within the needle lumen to provide a treatment phase to location of the occipital nerve such that the occipital neuralgia is mitigated.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for alleviating pain associated with occipital neuralgia, the method comprising:
 positioning a distal end of a cryogenic cooling needle probe proximate to a location of an occipital nerve, the needle probe comprising a pair of needles, each of the needles having a lumen, and wherein the pair of needles are spaced apart to flank at least a portion of the occipital nerve; 
 flanking the at least a portion of the occipital nerve with the pair of needles; 
 delivering a treatment to a target tissue with the cryogenic cooling needle probe, the treatment comprising a cooling phase where cooling fluid flows into the needle lumens so that liquid from the cooling fluid flow vaporizes within the needle lumens to provide cooling to the occipital nerve such that the occipital neuralgia is mitigated. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a degree of skin warming throughout the delivery of the treatment. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location of the occipital nerve comprises the greater occipital nerve (GON). 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the pair of needles are spaced apart 3-7 mm to flank the GON, each needle being greater than 6 mm in length. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location of the occipital nerve comprises the lower occipital nerve (LON). 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the pair of needles are spaced apart 3-7 mm to flank the LON, each needle being greater than 6 mm in length. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or ultrasound is used to locate the occipital nerve. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein during the cooling phase the needle probe generates a cryozone having a volume of 65-125 mm 3 . 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein during the cooling phase the needle probe generates a cryozone having a cross-sectional area of 14-55 mm 2 . 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of needles have a length that is greater than 15 mm. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of needles have a length in a range of 3 mm to 15 mm. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of needles are spaced apart 3-7 mm to flank the portion of the occipital nerve. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of needles are spaced apart 5-8 mm to flank the portion of the occipital nerve.